In a small study from the University of Bath, researchers had healthy adult males up their usual daily caloric intake by about 50%, to roughly 5,000 calories a day. At the same time, their physical activity was restricted to less than 4,000 steps a day (all to mimic the indulgent, slug-like feel of the holiday season). The twist: Half the particpants added a daily 45-minute run—but also ate even more to make up for the calories burned during the exercise. After just seven days, researchers noted that the less-active group experienced a reduction in insulin sensitivity, and also showed significant changes in the way several key genes and proteins in fat tissue interact—an interaction that’s key for a healthy metabolism and insulin response. None of this happen to the group that had exercised daily while overindulging. “In the short term at least, a daily bout of exercise has the ability to counteract the ill effects of an excess of food and the impact of a sedentary lifestyle, such as what most people experience over the Christmas break,” says study author Jean-Philippe Walhin, a researcher at the university. Lisa Lynn, a personal trainer in New York City, recommends opting for a metabolic-style workout. “While a run may be a good idea, metabolic workouts not only blast fat faster they also continue to burn calories for 36 hours after you’re done,” she says. Check out this fat-blasting 4-minute interval workout to help burn off those cookie calories.
